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Dec. 11th, 2008 07:49 amSo I got on last night, and Trudi was like "OMG, the tackroom light is on! Dude, there is snow on the ground outside over there! There are sacks of feed in the aisle!!!". I was like "Uh-huh, we are working now." I got very focused and sat well, and Trudi put on her thinking cap and really went to work very well. And then I noticed that she didn't feel quite right. To the right - mostly ok- to the left- something odd. Canter made it really obvious- canter to the right was fine, but to the left something very wonky. I cooled her out and the walk was fine, totally ok both directions. I got off and had her trot, and watched from the ground. Something is wrong- I can't completely say for sure but I think her right hind is sore. I think it is from her clipping a bench (they use it for a mounting block) when I turned her out the other night- it was too cold to ride so I had turned her loose in the indoor and sent her around. She clipped the bench and I thought she was ok, but she was definitely off last night. No marks, bumps, heat or swelling that I could find though, so I'm not sure where the problem is. *Sigh*. It so figures. I feel like we're really getting it, and then my horse is like "Btw I am lame." So we'll give it a few days and see. Now I have to figure out if I should call now to cancel the saddle fitting I have scheduled for Saturday, or if I should wait and check her tonight. My guess is that she will be still gimpy tonight but ok this weekend, but if I'm wrong they'll charge me anyway for not canceling soon enough. Damnit, I don't want to have to reschedule...also I want my horsie to be sound...*wanders off grumbling*.
ETA- in spite of the crappy lame thing, I managed to have a couple of lightbulb moments.
1. When I don't keep my upper body upright (aka relax too much or get tired and slouch) my pelvis and hips rotate and my seat bones no longer press down into the saddle/horse, and that means I no longer have seat aids. Very bad. It was very important for me to become aware of this though, especially since I'm learning to use my seat more and trying to sit more centered.
2. The long neck. I finally felt the real difference in how a step can travel through the body, along the back, and to the neck, in its entirity and in real time, in a way that felt much more complete and comprehensive than it ever has before. I finally felt what happens when she takes a short step behind and hollows her back and raises her head, as a complete sequence, and it made total sense. I have always heard of the neck as a balancing rod, but last night I finally felt immediately how she looses her balance as soon as a foot doesn't step through, and how she throws her neck and head up to compensate (which throws me backward and causes me to use the reins for some support, and brings my hands back into my lap). This is where trainer telling me "ride with your hands right over her withers" clicks into place as making complete sense. I had found conciously pushing my hands forward would help stretch her back down and forward toward the bit when she would get hollow and quick, but I also started feeling how at almost the same time, I can also push the hind leg forward and generate more energy to send through her body so that she's not just stretching her neck and rebalancing (which actually does help some just on its own- lowering and stretching her neck does seem to give her better balance and does not PREVENT her from stepping through- it also changes MY balance when I sit up and push my hands forward so that I'm not staying too far behind the motion), but pushing the hind leg and fixing my balance and giving her a place to go forward and down to the bit is THE WHOLE PACKAGE and fixes everything in one shot instead of several strides.
Which isn't to say that this is easy and that I can catch the issue, immediately, and fix it perfectly every time, but it was very important to feel it, understand it, and correct it even once (and I think I managed a couple times at least. ^_^).
ETA- in spite of the crappy lame thing, I managed to have a couple of lightbulb moments.
1. When I don't keep my upper body upright (aka relax too much or get tired and slouch) my pelvis and hips rotate and my seat bones no longer press down into the saddle/horse, and that means I no longer have seat aids. Very bad. It was very important for me to become aware of this though, especially since I'm learning to use my seat more and trying to sit more centered.
2. The long neck. I finally felt the real difference in how a step can travel through the body, along the back, and to the neck, in its entirity and in real time, in a way that felt much more complete and comprehensive than it ever has before. I finally felt what happens when she takes a short step behind and hollows her back and raises her head, as a complete sequence, and it made total sense. I have always heard of the neck as a balancing rod, but last night I finally felt immediately how she looses her balance as soon as a foot doesn't step through, and how she throws her neck and head up to compensate (which throws me backward and causes me to use the reins for some support, and brings my hands back into my lap). This is where trainer telling me "ride with your hands right over her withers" clicks into place as making complete sense. I had found conciously pushing my hands forward would help stretch her back down and forward toward the bit when she would get hollow and quick, but I also started feeling how at almost the same time, I can also push the hind leg forward and generate more energy to send through her body so that she's not just stretching her neck and rebalancing (which actually does help some just on its own- lowering and stretching her neck does seem to give her better balance and does not PREVENT her from stepping through- it also changes MY balance when I sit up and push my hands forward so that I'm not staying too far behind the motion), but pushing the hind leg and fixing my balance and giving her a place to go forward and down to the bit is THE WHOLE PACKAGE and fixes everything in one shot instead of several strides.
Which isn't to say that this is easy and that I can catch the issue, immediately, and fix it perfectly every time, but it was very important to feel it, understand it, and correct it even once (and I think I managed a couple times at least. ^_^).
